Hydrangea macrophylla plant named &#39;Ripple&#39;

ABSTRACT

Ripple is a new variety of  Hydrangea  plant. This new variety has white flowers with red margins.

GENUS/SPECIES

[0001]Hydrangea macrophylla

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety ofHydrangea macrophylla plant named ‘Ripple’.

[0003] The genus Hydrangea is included in the family Saxifragaceae whichcomprises about 80 genera and 1,200 species of herbs, shrubs, smalltrees, and woody climbers mostly temperate in origin. Hydrangeacomprises approximately 23 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs andvines originating in North America, South America and East Asia, many ofwhich possess desirable ornamental characteristics. Recent taxonomicaltreatments sometimes isolate Hydrangea in a new family, Hydrangeaceae.

[0004]Hydrangea macrophylla is widespread and common throughout much ofJapan. It generally has opposite, simple leaves, obovate to elliptic inshape, 10 to 20 cm long and 5 to 15 cm wide. Leaf color ranges fromlight to dark green, depending on light intensity and culturalconditions. Leaves are generally softly pubescent. Flower color isdependent upon the pH level of the soil and the amount of availablealuminum in the soil media. Flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla are bornein mostly sterile florets, formed in what is often called a “hortensia”flower.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The new variety exhibits white to chartreuse florets with redmargins throughout the growing season. The new plant was bred inKanuma-City, Japan. The female parent is Hydrangea macrophylla “Love youkiss” and the male parent is Hydrangea macrophylla “mirai.” Asexualreproduction of the new variety by stem cuttings in both Kanuma-City,Japan and in Huissen, The Netherlands has confirmed that the distinctivecharacteristics of the new variety are stable and transmitted tosucceeding generations and the new variety reproduces true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

[0006] The accompanying illustrations show specimens of the new cultivarin photographic illustrations as true to color as is reasonably possibleto make in photographs of this character.

[0007]FIG. 1 is a close-up view of the inflorescence; and

[0008]FIG. 2 is a view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Ripple”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

[0009] The following observations and descriptions are of 14-16 monthold plants grown in 14 cm containers in Kanuma-City, Japan and of 15month old plants grown in 14 cm containers in Huissen, The Netherlands.The plants were grown in greenhouses in both Japan and The Netherlands.In this description, color references are to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart (2001) and terminology used in the colordescriptions herein refers to plate numbers in this color chart.

[0010] Classification:

[0011]Family.—Hydrangea.

[0012]Species.—macrophylla.

[0013]Common name.—Hydrangea.

[0014]Parentage.—Male parent —0 Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mirai’.

[0015]Female parent.—Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Love you kiss’.

[0016] Plant:

[0017]Propagation.—Plants of this variety are grown from cuttings takenfrom motherplants in February, March or early April. Growth retardersare used during the culture.

[0018]Height.—At the end of the first growing season, about October ofthat same year, the plants have a height of 10-15 cm above thesoil/container and 5-8 branches. The diameter of the plants is about15-20 cm when the leaves are still on the plant.

[0019]Time to Flowering.—These plants can be forced into flower inheated greenhouses and need until March before they flower. When grownin unheated greenhouses they will need until May or early June toflower. At that time the height above the soil/container isapproximately 30-35 cm and the diameter is 40-50 cm. Also at that timethe plant has 4-7 flower heads and branches have a diameter of 6-7 mm.

[0020]Branch length.—When the plant is about 35 cm tall, the branchlength is 15-20 cm.

[0021] Branching:

[0022]Habit.—Medium.

[0023]Fasciation.—None.

[0024]Twisting.—None.

[0025]Thickness.—Medium.

[0026]Internode length.—Observed 4-8 cm.

[0027]Flowering branch color.—RHS 137D-138A.

[0028]Spot.—1-2 mm long; 40-65 spots per internode; 4-5 internodes perbranch; 160-325 spots per branch.

[0029]Color of branch spot.—RHS 59A and 187B.

[0030]Color.—Branch color of previous year: darker parts are RHS 166Aand 200B; lighter parts are RHS 177C and 174A.

[0031]Phyllotaxis.—Opposite.

[0032] Leaves:

[0033]Shape.—Elliptical.

[0034]Apex.—Acute.

[0035]Base.—Obtuse.

[0036]Margin.—Serrate.

[0037]Size.—Medium.

[0038]Length.—13-16 cm.

[0039]Width.—6-7 cm.

[0040]Thickness.—Medium.

[0041]Premature leaf color.—Upper surface —0 RHS 137A. Lower surface —RHS 147B and 148A. On the border of the leaves (lower surface) there isa shine of color RHS 61A over it.

[0042]Mature leaf color.—Upper surface — RHS 135A and 139A. Lowersurface — RHS 137C, 138A and 147B.

[0043]Variegation.—None.

[0044]Autumn tints of leaf.—Absent.

[0045]Gloss of leaf color.—None.

[0046]Gloss of leaf underside.—None.

[0047]Hair on leaf surface.—None.

[0048]Hair on leaf underside.—None.

[0049]Petiole thickness.—0.6 cm.

[0050]Petiole length.—1.6 cm.

[0051]Petiole color.—Upper surface RHS 146B, lower surface RHS 138B and139C.

[0052]Petiole hair.—None.

[0053] Inflorescence:

[0054]Type.—Compound corymb.

[0055]Shape.—Spheroidal.

[0056] Flowers:

[0057]Form.—Hortensias.

[0058]Direction.—Upward.

[0059]Node Number of stem to flowering.—5.

[0060]Longitudinal length of inflorescence.—19 cm.

[0061]Horizonal length of inflorescence.—18 cm.

[0062]Thickness of inflorescence.—9 cm.

[0063]Height of inflorescence.—10 cm.

[0064]Number of fertile flowers.—10-20 per inflorescence.

[0065]Number of sterile flowers.—110-120 per inflorescence.

[0066]Diameter of fertile flower.—0.4 cm.

[0067]Color of fertile flower.—RHS 58A, RHS 57A, RHS 57B and RHS 46B.

[0068]Fertile flower.—Single.

[0069]Sterile flower.—Normal Flat.

[0070]Number of inflorescences per plant.—12-18 per plant per year.

[0071]Flower longevity.—12-14 weeks calculated from 6 weeks for thewhite/red phase and 6-8 weeks for the green phase.

[0072] Sepal:

[0073]Sepal.—Overlap.

[0074]Size difference in sepal.—A little.

[0075]Length of sterile flowers.—5.5-6.0 cm.

[0076]Sterile flower color.—multicolor.

[0077]Multicolored pattern of sterile flowers.—margin colored.

[0078]Color of sterile flowers at the beginning of flowering.—JHS 3305(green).

[0079]Color of sterile flowers in full bloom.—JHS 3101 (white).

[0080]Sepal color.—Center of sepal of flower in full bloom on both upperand lower surfaces is RHS 155D; rim of upper surface is RHS 60C, 61B and63A; rim of lower surface is RHS 63A, 63B, 61C, 60D and 59D.

[0081]Secondary color of sterile flowers.—JHS 9506 (crimson).

[0082]Sepal shape.—base: Attenuate; apex: obtuse; margins are betweenserrate and crenate.

[0083]Position of sepal incision.—Middle part.

[0084]Density of sepal incision.—Low.

[0085]Type of sepal incision.—Obtuse.

[0086]Number of sepals.—4-5.

[0087]Sepal length.—3 cm.

[0088]Sepal width.—3 cm.

[0089] Peduncle:

[0090]Peduncle length.—6 cm.

[0091]Peduncle diameter.—3-4.5 mm.

[0092]Peduncle color.—JHS 3305 (light green).

[0093]Peduncle number.—5.

[0094] Pedicel:

[0095]Pedicel length.—3 cm.

[0096]Pedicel diameter.—1.5 mm.

[0097]Pedicel color.—JHS 2901 (yellowish-white).

[0098] Reproductive Organs:

[0099]Stamen number.—8-12.

[0100]Pistil number.—3-5 pistils per flower.

[0101]Filament color.—RHS 155D under greenhouse conditions.

[0102]Anther color.—RHS 155D under greenhouse conditions.

[0103]Fruit shape.—Round.

[0104]Fruit color.—Brown.

[0105]Fragrance.—Absent.

[0106] Disease/Pest Resistance: Plants of the new variety have beenobserved to be significantly more susceptible to Botrytis than theaverage Hydrangea macrophylla. No susceptibility or resistance to otherdiseases or pests beyond that of the species has been noted.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant as shown anddescribed herein.